This brings back everything the original World of Warcraft was known for, and throws in much more into the World.
Possibly one of the most important part of any game is the graphics. You will always get people solely buying games on simply the graphical power, but that is not always the only thing to look for in a game. Although this games graphics do not come anywhere near the engine seen in Gears of War, or Valve's Source Engine, it reaches a whole new artistic scale. There are vast open-ended environments, as well as cavernous dungeon crawls through instances. From there nobility you feel as you walk through Stormwind, and see the massive statues of the Alliance's more recognizable figures, to the feeling of a land long lost you get as you walk through the remains of Silvermoon City, the graphics truely set the mood for this game.
The sound is always where Warcraft has shined in its making. The chill you get during the voice-over from Illidan when you first see the trailer is enough to make any gamer's spine tingle. From the peaceful starting area of the Bloodelves', to the almost apocalyptic feeling you get as you soar through Outland on your flying mount, the sound design allows for the mood to truely be what the developers where looking to give you when you play the game.
The value is always an important part of MMO's, most of them come with a monthly fee to play, and this is no exception. The initial fee of $40, and the monthly fee of $15 can really make a hole in some people's wallets, but that should not keep you from playing. This game is well worth the initial and monthly fees to play.
What more could be in an expansion you ask? Why there are two new races added to each side, for the Alliance, the Drainie, and for the Horde, the Bloodelves. These two races also add much more to the game as for each side can now play as a class that was previously unavailable to them, now the Horde can play as Paladins, and the Alliance can play as Shamans. Also the total land mass in the game was increased by 30% with the addition of Outland and two new starting areas for each of the two races.
Altogether with World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusades is a solid expansion that although it barrows much from the original, it also adds much more. From the at times chilling sound design, to the occasionally comically overstated weapons, this game is a gem nobody should miss out on.